Ducati's WSBK and MotoGP riders have joined some of the World Superbike men at Jerez as testing continues, offering an interesting comparison between the two series. Somewhat unsurprisingly, the fastest time was set by a World Superbike rider, Eugene Laverty taking top spot on the factory Aprilia, having already spent two previous days on the track. Tom Sykes ended the day in 2nd, the Kawasakis once again running without transponders, while Nicky Hayden ended with the 3rd fastest time on his first day of testing aboard the Ducati GP13 Desmosedici MotoGP machine. Hayden was two thirds of a second behind Laverty, but it is the American's first day back in the saddle, and the Ducati MotoGP bike has notoriously struggled around the Jerez circuit. Hayden was within three tenths of his qualifying time from earlier in the year.

Michele Pirro continues to impress as Ducati test ride, once again going faster than Andrea Iannone. Meanwhile, the Ducati Panigale clearly has a lot of work left to be done, Carlos Checa nearly three seconds slower than Laverty on the Aprilia. Slowest man of the day was Andrea Dovizioso, though he rode very little due to neck problem, his neck having locked up solid after making an unexpected motion.

Comments

The Superbike riders may have been testing there for two days already, but on the other hand MotoGP has been racing at Jerez, while the Superbikes have not. Would be cool, though.
Still, Hayden & Co will surely get quicker. Even just the Bridgestones should make for about two seconds advantage, I guess, judging from the remarks of the not-so-tight-lipped Cal Crutchlow.

May aswell and its just my opinion. Shows where the Rossi misadventure left Ducati rather than took them after two years wasted. Maybe Bridgestone too,to boot. Poor old Carlos,the Pannigale is more painfully slow than the 1198R resplendant in trellis. That sucks but is understandable,given that all their resources were ploughed into the alloy beam GP bike.
Gobmeier,mate,I don't envy you,but money changes everything,right.

Ducati really should have known better. Putting the MGP and WSB teams together at the same time was bound to cause problems.
Dovi was inevitably going to meet Melandri’s girlfriend.
They should have given him a HANS device…….

...Nicky Hayden posted the fastest time on day two, a 1:40.090. It's difficult to compare the two series MotoGP and WSBK and their respective riders as testing of new chassis, swingarms, suspension settings etc. are being compared and evaluated. I think the more telling times are those of the Superbikes as compared to the CRT bikes. If Ezpeleta's plan is to have some kind of parity between prototypes and CRT bikes with the goal of saving expenses, I don't see a way other than to restrict Prototypes in such a way as they are slowed or to allow manufacturers to supply other teams with a prototype "production" racer. Personally I would rather see the prototypes remain prototypes, it's at the core of what GP racing has been historically.